Three dimensional anchor



June 14, 1960 R. MAYER THREE nmmsxom. ANCHOR Filed July 28, 1955 INVENTOR. ichurd Mayer United States Patent THREE DIMENSIONAL ANCHOR Richard Mayer, Richland, Wash., assignor to Adjustable Anchor Corporation, Richland, Wash, a corporation of Washington Filed July as, 1955, Ser. No. 524,866

4 (Ilaims. o1. 72 s This invention is a fixture anchor adapted for three dimensional adjustments.

When installing large heavy machinery or fixtures it is present day practice to provide a base upon which the fixture may be placed. Prior to placing the fixture it is customary to fix J-bolts in the concrete of the base so that the base is presumably readyto receive and securely anchor the fixture. A template or drawing is usually supplied which discloses the location of the fastening holes in the supporting feet of the fixture so that the location of the J-bolts may be predetermined and the supporting base prepared to receive the fixture. Obviously it is desirable to remove the fixture from the transit vehicle and immediately place it upon the prepared base and thus avoid unnecessary handling of the fixture during the time lapse from its arrival to its placement.

in actual practice it has been found that the apertures in the fixture support do not usually correspond to the J-bolts as previously set by means of the template and it becomes necessary to either remove the bolts and reset them or form additional holes in the support feet of the fixture to correspond in position with the J-bolts as previously set. This of course requires an expenditure of much time and labor and therefore greatly increases the cost of installing heavy equipment and also results in loss of time during which the fixture or machine should normally be in productive use.

it is therefore one object of this invention to provide fixture anchoring means wherein several fixture anchors may be secured in approximate predetermined locations prior to arrival of the device to be anchored, each of said anchoring means being provided with a fixture fastener that is manually movable to adjusted positions, thus permitting the fasteners to be moved limits to coincide to the axes of the fastening apertures in the feet or the device, fixture or machine to be anchored.

It is also found to be necessary in many instances to level the machine accurately to cause it to function properly. This is quite difficult to do since when a cement base is poured very slight variations and shrinkage of the concrete during setting can affect this level. Therefore, it is another object of the invention to provide a fixture anchor which not only has fixture fasteners moveable horizontally to align with apertures of the support of a fixture but also has means for vertically adjusting an element of the fixture fastener to insure proper leveling of the machine.

Further it is sometimes found necessary toprovide a fiat supporting surface which is disposed in a plane angular to the true horizontal or angular to the general plane of the supporting suriace and it is therefore another object of this invention to provide a fixture fastener having an element which is adapted for movements to angular positions in any plane relative to the base or other member to support a fixture.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a fixture anchor which has an element adapted to be securely fixed in a predetermined position known to be 2 approximately that required for anchoring the fixture and having a manually moveable fixture fastener adapted for securing to a fixture and adjustable to selective lateral positions with respect to its axis prior to being secured and thereafter securable to rigidly unite the element, fastener and fixture together.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a fixture anchor having a manually adjustable fastener moveable athwart of the rotational axis of a rotatable member constituting a portion of the fixture anchor, said rotatable member being rotatable to position the fastener at the proper radial location, vertically adjustable to level the fixture and moveable to limited angular positions in any plane to support the fixture in a desired plane.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a fixture anchor having a manually adjustable fastener which permits the housing to be securely fixed and the fastener to be adjusted to the fixture to be anchored so that great accuracy in fixing the housing is not necessary since any slight displacement of the fixture may be compensated for by the movable fixture fastener of the anchor.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a fixture anchor having a rotatable member removably secured in a housing adapted to be anchored in a structural member whereby the fixture fastener may be adjusted to selected positions for cooperating with a fixture to be secured thereto such as a hydraulic ram for lifting prestressed concrete slabs and which may be subsequently released and the rotatable member removed to permit grouting or other surfacing of the slab.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a fixture anchor which comprises a minimum number of parts assembled with facility at a minimum expenditure of labor and material.

The herein recited objects and other important objects of the invention will become apparent during a study of the following specification, claims and drawings and the exact nature and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the improved invention is shown.

It is to be understood that the drawings and description are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the invention except insofar as it is expressed in the claims appended to this specification and as required in view of the prior art. g g

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a number of fixture anchors which are fixed in relative positions by means of reinforcing rod tack-welded thereto;

Figure 2 is a plan View of one fixture anchor;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section diametrically through one of said fixture anchors;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section through the fixture on a plane at right angles to that of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section through a modified rotor adapted to form a part of the fixture anchor.

With reference now in greater detail to the drawing, I have disclosed in Figure 1 a number of fixture anchors, each indicated in its entirety by the numeral 10. All of the fixture anchors 10 are secured together in fixed relative positions, for securing to a support such as by being embedded in concrete or otherwise, by means of reinforcing steel 11 or similar material tack-Welded at 12 to the several fixture anchors. This method of arranging the several anchors has been found to be most facileand inexpensive and is adaptable to many applications.

Each fixture fastener is provided with a fixable element or housing 13 which includes an annular upstanding internally threaded wall14 defining a central recess or well and which has an outer peripheral face diverging downwardly to a lower'fiange 15 which completely encircles the housing at its lower edge and is provided with a mum opens in the outer and inner faces 20, and 21 thereof.

It will'also be noted in Figure f the drawing that in this construction the way 19 does not extend completely 7 through the rotatable member diametrically but terminates spaced from the peripheral face 22 thereof. Ob-

of the member would be separated in two half sections.

In the modified form shown in Figure 5 where the way a 19 does extend completely throughth'e rotatable member 7 diametrically it does not extend completely through axially v thereof and therefore the rotatabl'e'memberis an integral It will'b'e notedthatthe-pripheral faee "22 of the ro- V .tatable member 18.is annular and is also formed as .a

segment of a sphere or, ball. The purpose of this can struetion will be more fully-revealedhereinafter. p

'Particular'obs'ervation of Figures 3 and 4 will disclose that a support member 23 having a peripheral threaded edge cooperating with the internal threads of the housing 13 is disposed in the recess or well defined by the housing 13 and is axially adjustable therein by rotation of the support member 23'with respect to the housing. This is accmplished by means of a screwdriver or othertool receiving slot or kerf 24 formed at the a'xisjin' both the upper and lower faces of the member 23'. J The support member'23 as seen is cup-shape and'its internal annular facezs is a segment 'of a sphere having 'thesame radius as the peripheral face 22 of the rotor 20., It is there fore obvious that the rotatable member is supported in thecup-shapesupporting' element 23 and is.adapte'd for limited angular movement in any plane and is axially rotatable therein. 7 a V A locking ring 2 6, also provided with a peripheral threaded edge 'cooperating'with the internal threads of the housing 13,'has an inner annular face 27 which is a segment of {asphere has an equalradius to the face 25 and merace'z. T e ring 26 is provided with a plurality or driying lugs 28 on its upper face and these lugs as seen inFig'ur'e 1 are reduced at their outer annular edge 28 7 t6 prevent'fr'agments, formed by mutilation thereof with I a, driving tool; from interfering with the threads of the housing;

InFigures 3. and 4 he vertical height of thering 26 is seen to be reduced so that its upper level'is spaced below the upper face 20 of'the'rotatablememberiIS. It is therefore obvious that when the anchor is'placed to facilitate mounting a fixture the upper face 20 of the rotatable member upon which the fixture Will rest 'may' be axially adjusted by manual adjustment of the support member 23 also it may be augularly adjusted within limits by reason of the ball-socket? likerelationship of the repass'upwardly through an opening formed iii-thefootof a fixture to be secured thereto. Obviously a Clamping nut will associatewiththe threaded end of the fixture fastener 29 .to'secure the'fixturfe tliere'to andtben'c'e' the locking ring 26 may be dri into napm relationship to the-rotatablememberrsfto sec ly leek nag nst' movemenrfrern the preset vertical eifeumferential and angular 'esitidns.

' viously if the way were to extend completely through the rotatable member onthe diameter and also Taxially there- When found necessary a tool may be employed to distort the threads of the housing or ring to lock the elements against relative rotation to prevent accidental movement thereof and subsequent releasing of the rotatable member. Obviously the several elements maybe locked together by means of a pin inserted through a drilled hole if found desirable.

Having thus described my invention I claim.

1. A fixture anchor for heavy equipment of the class described comprising a housing adapted to be securely fixed in a predetermined position and having an upstanding internally threaded wall definuig ,a circular recess; an externally threaded ens-shape support'member threadedly associating with the threads of said housing and adjustable axially thereof; a rotatable member carried by said support member for rotation about its axis and tiltable ber for movements athwarter its rotational and extending from said housing; "and means releasably'locking said rotatable memberat selected positions. a

2. The invention as defined in claim' 1 wherein the rotatable member is provided with'an undercut way'ex'tending athwart of its axisof rotation and communicating outwardly. of said housing and slid-ably receiving said fixture fastener in said way.

3. A fixture anchor for heavy equipment of the class described comprising a housing adapted to be securely fixed in 'a predetermined position-and having an upstanding internally threaded wall defining a circular recess; an

' externally threaded support member threadedly associated V with the threads of said housing and adjustable axially thereof; said support member being cup-shape and having an internal face constituting a'segment of a sphere; a rotatable member having :an external circular peripheral faoe constituting a segmentof a sphere and supported in the cup-shape member; said rotatable member being tiltable in said support member for positioning the axis of rotation ofthe rotatable member-at an angle with the central axis of; the recess of the housing; an externally threaded ring threadedly engaged with the threads of said.

housing and havingan'internal circular face constituting aseg ment of a sphere and mating with the peripheral face of said rotatable member; and a fixture fastener supported by and transversely slidable'r'elative to the rotatable member for movements athwart of its rotational axis. a

' 4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the rotatable member is provided with'an undercut way extending athwart of its axis of rotation and communicating outwardly of said housing and'slidabl'y receives said fixture fastener in said way, and communicating axially therethrough; and the support member is provided with 'a tool receiving slot atits axis: accessible through said way for rotating said support meinber for adjustments axially of said housing. I

Referenies' ones-1n a the of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 696,167 Forester Mar. 25, 1902 1,637,210 Betts July 26, 1927 1,705,739 selh 1 Mar. 19, 1929 1,761,800 Pre'is June 3, 1930 2,095,832 RiZke. Oct. 12, 1937 2,171,879 Swat-t2 Sept. 5, 1939 2,197,889 'Katcher Apr..23, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 142,391 Great Britain ay 6, 1920 421,984 GreatBritain Jan. 3, 1935 983,089 France 1 of 1951 

